Mouse Extra

Well, Disney Cruise Line fanatics, there really is only one word on everyone’s mind now, AquaDuck. Thursday’s press event to introduce the new ship, the Disney Dream, was meant to get everyone excited about what is to come at the Disney Cruise Line. And it certainly accomplished that goal.

For those who didn’t see the webcast, the event began with a short address by Disney CEO Bob Iger, who gave the usual speech. Iger did confirm, however, that both of the new ships, the Disney Dream and the soon to be announced Disney Fantasy, will be based out of Port Canaveral in Florida while the two current ships, the Magic and Wonder, will be sent across the globe to new places. That’s perfectly fine with me, because after getting a look at even just the renderings of the Disney Dream, I can’t wait to experience it myself.

Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, took us on a sneak peek into the new ship. The basic idea that I got from this presentation is to offer more, but nothing too different from the formula that has worked so well for the Disney Cruise Line. We see a selection of new restaurants and lounges, fun areas for kids, and entertainment offerings that all look impressive and would fit perfectly into the current DCL ships. The impression I got is that the Disney Dream will be everything you loved about the Magic and Wonder, just much more.

But the “oohs and aahs” really came when Rasulo announced the AquaDuck. At the top of the ship, cruisers will be able to ride a transparent tube water coaster that will take riders on a ride out over the side of the ship 150 feet above the ocean waves and down a 4-deck drop. This looks absolutely incredible!  You can check out an artist rendering of it on the DCL website.  The Press Event showed a virtual ride-through, which I have not been able to find onlineyet, that really brought a reaction from the crowd.  Hopefully this will be posted soon.

The DCL website now has many of the details introduced at the press event, including a virtual tour, artist renderings of the most popular guest areas, and some nice specifics about the soon-to-be-famous AquaDuck. Really, this ship can’t launch soon enough. As more details are released we will let you know.

I just wanted to take a posting here to help spread the word and inform readers of Mouse Extra, and more specifically my fellow devotees to the Disney Cruise Line, of a live webcast DCL is hosting tomorrow that is sure to be of interest.  Finally, details of the Disney Dream, the first of Disney’s new ships to be launched, will be unveiled at a press event tomorrow in New York City.  And thankfully the Disney Cruise Line will be broadcasting it on the internet for all of us to see.  Here is the website where you can find it.

There has already been a lot of information that has tricked out into the public.  In fact, a model of the new ship was apparently on display at the D23 Expo.  But I still expect an exorbitant amount of drool making its way into unsuspecting keyboards at about 4:15pm Eastern Time tomorrow.   And, of course, if there is anything we need to comment on, we will be posting soon after.  Enjoy your drooling!

News hit the internet yesterday that the Disney Cruise Line will in fact permanently move its ship the Disney Wonder to Los Angeles.  The change will come in 2011, the year the first of Disney’s new ships will take to the seas.  Check out the article in the Los Angeles Times.

In the face of slumping travel and tourism spending, Disney Cruise Lines and Los Angeles city officials announced plans Monday to base a Disney cruise ship in the Port of Los Angeles beginning in 2011, which could create an estimated 2,600 jobs in the region.

The 964-foot-long Disney Wonder, currently based in Port Canaveral, Fla., will move to San Pedro to make room for two new cruise ships that will begin operating out of Florida in 2011 and 2012.

The fact that it will be Los Angeles should come as no surprise to anyone.  In the last few weeks, there was some talk Disney was considering San Diego for their ship’s home base.  But it always seemed like nothing more than a move to gain some leverage over Los Angeles in negotiations.

News on the repositioning of the Disney Cruise Line and the mission these ships will be given has been trickling out at a bit faster rate over the past few weeks.  What we don’t know about the Disney Wonder is where it will go.  The report says the Mexican Rivera is a likely destination, but will the mission also include summer itineraries to the coast of Alaska?  Or perhaps a trip out to Disney’s soon-to-be-built resort on Hawaii’s island of Oahu?  Time will tell.

Yesterday marked a huge day in the history of the Disney Cruise Line, as construction officially began on two new ships that are scheduled to hit the seas in 2011 and 2012 with a ceremonial steel cutting in Papenburg, Germany at the Meyer Werft Shipyard.  The story is all over the internet, but the best coverage I have seen comes from John Frost at the Disney Blog, which is not at all surprising.

The first piece of steel cut for the new ships was part of the art deco inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the intricate pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, designed to reflect the glamour of the golden age of cruising with added touches of Disney whimsy, such as the Mickey Mouse medallion in the center of the design.

Details about these new ships have been kept quiet, which is usually the case with any project of this size until construction actually begins.  Now that steel is being cut and the shipyard is at work we will start to learn more and more about what we can expect out of these new ships.

But the two biggest questions will be answered in Disney’s own good time.  What are the names of these ships and where will they sail?  Those are the only questions DCL fans such as me want are scrambling for answers to.  But unfortunately neither of them are answered yet.  The anticipation continues…

Is the Disney Cruise Line giving us a not-so-subtle hint about what it plans to do with the new ships launching in 2011 and 2012?  It does seem as though that may be a possibility.  According to the morning’s Orlando Sentinel, the Disney Cruise Line is sending 20 employees, including the company’s number two executive, to London to set up an operation there.

A company spokeswoman said that about 20 employees will be stationed in the United Kingdom office, though not all will be people transferred from Central Florida. The operation there will be led by Tom Wolber, Disney Cruise Line’s senior vice president and the company’s No. 2 executive.

Now 20 people may not seem to be much, but we are still over three years off the launch of the new vessels.  Right now there is little need for more than that.  But the conclusion we can draw is from Wolber’s inclusion in this transfer.  Why would someone that high up in the company be relocated to London if they did not plan to have major operations in Europe in the future?

Disney Cruise Line fans are patiently waiting for any hint of what to look forward to when these new ships take to the seas.  We here in America are wishing for cruises out of New York, Hawaii, or Alaska.  But the rest of the world is also open to the Mouse and this may be the first real evidence of where the future is leading the Disney Cruise Line.

The Disney Cruise Line debuted its latest musical show on Thursday when “Toy Story – The Musical” took to the stage aboard the Mouse’s newest ship, the Disney Wonder.  The Orlando Sentinel has the story and some great footage to watch as well.  Click here and watch the video.

The stage show has the blessing and the imprint of John Lasseter, director of the Toy Story films and now chief creative officer of Disney and Pixar Animation Studios as well as the principal creative adviser of Walt Disney Imagineering.

The result show is a full-blown Broadway-style affair with 18 actors (including beloved characters Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Hamm and Rex), giant projection screens, an appearance of the Claw and a rollicking finale.

I hope to hear reports from this show soon.  It certainly looks like a lot of fun.  Each time I have been onboard a Disney Cruise ship the same shows were offered.  The last time I only went to one because I just was not interested in seeing the others again.  Toy Story is one of my very favorite films and from this preview the musical certainly looks worthy of a try.  It will be nice to see something new.

But I know my own tastes and that makes me a bit cautious.  I honestly could not tolerate “Finding Nemo – The Musical” at the Animal Kingdom, and that earned rave reviews when it opened.  It just was not for me.  Hopefully this will be more to my liking.